The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover - Chapter 174
Chapter 174: Surprised!
Fortunately, as they left the VIP room, her grandparents were so delighted they couldn’t think of anything else.
They kept talking about meeting Oliver, already planning gifts and weekend visits.
“Till we meet again, Eve…” Lucy said, hugging her granddaughter tightly.
She then turned to Stella. “Please don’t stress your sister. What if she vanishes from us again?”
“Geez, Grandma… My sister won’t do that. Besides, I already know where she lives.” Stella giggled, but earned another light slap on her back from Evelyn.
“Bye, grandma, grandpa…”
When the car finally pulled away, Evelyn turned to Stella, who was still grinning from ear to ear.
She led her back to their VIP room, gently scolding, “My goodness, Stella, can you please stop exposing me?”
“I only said the truth, sis. Besides, you should’ve seen Grandma’s face… How could I not tell her?”
Evelyn sighed, but couldn’t stay mad. She reached into her purse, pulled out a plain white envelope, and slid it across the table.
“Fine. Since you love surprises so much, here’s one for you.”
Stella blinked in confusion.
“What’s this?”
“Open it,” Evelyn said, her tone casual.
Stella tore the envelope open, her brow furrowing as she unfolded the paper inside. Her eyes scanned the words, and suddenly she froze.
Her mouth opened slightly. “Sis…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “This… this is a residency acceptance letter.”
Evelyn nodded, smiling proudly.
“At Hope Medical Center. You’re starting next month.”
Stella blinked, still processing the words while looking at the letter in her hand.
“T-This is my residency?” she repeated, her voice shaky. “You mean, the one I missed three years ago because… Because…”
“Because life got in the way,” Evelyn finished gently. “I know. You had to work after graduation, and things were difficult back then. But now you can finally focus on your dream. You deserve it.”
For a long moment, Stella just stared at the paper in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly.
“S-Sister… did you arrange this for me? Did you ask my brother-in-law to help?” Stella asked.
Her eyes began to blur as tears threatened to spill. Not because she was sad, but because she felt overwhelmed with happiness that her sister cares about her future.
Evelyn tilted her head, pretending to think. “Hmm… maybe. Maybe not. Let’s just say I mentioned your dream once or twice, and suddenly an invitation appeared.”
Stella gasped, half-laughing and half-crying. “Sis… You didn’t have to do this!”
“Yes, I did.” Evelyn’s tone softened. “You’ve always supported me, even when everyone turned away. Now it’s my turn to do something for you.”
Tears welled up in Stella’s eyes, but she quickly tried to hide them behind a laugh.
“Great. Now I’m crying in a sushi restaurant. This is so embarrassing.”
Evelyn chuckled. “You cry too easily. I thought doctors were supposed to be tough.”
“Not when their scary older sister pulls something like this,” Stella sniffed, trying to regain her composure.
“I still can’t believe it. Hope Medical Center is one of the top hospitals in the country. I’ve dreamed of working there for years!”
“Then dream bigger,” Evelyn said with a proud smile. “You’re not just going to work there. You’ll make a name for yourself. And when you do, you’ll remember who got you in.”
Stella let out a soft laugh. “You mean my terrifying, overly protective sister who secretly bribes everyone around her?”
“Well, if you said to bribe my husband using my charm included, then yes…” Evelyn said smoothly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
They both laughed.
For a while, they talked about the upcoming residency.
Evelyn teasing her about wearing lab coats instead of designer dresses, and Stella pretending to faint at the thought of long hospital shifts.
When the laughter finally settled, Stella leaned back in her chair, “Thank you, Eve. Really. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Simple,” Evelyn said, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t mess it up.”
That earned another burst of laughter from Stella. “Typical Evelyn Walters. Emotional one second, terrifying the next.”
“Someone has to keep you grounded,” Evelyn replied.
Their laughter filled the private room again, echoing softly off the walls.
When it was time to leave, Stella clutched the envelope tightly against her chest as though it were the most precious thing in the world. “I’ll make you proud, Eve. I promise.”
“You already do,” Evelyn said sincerely. “Now go home, celebrate, and tell Alice before she finds out from someone else.”
Stella nodded as she wiped away the tears from her cheeks.
“Yes, I will. Mom still always blamed herself whenever she saw a doctor or passed by the hospital. If she knew I still had a chance to follow my dream, she might even cry out of happiness.”
…
As they walked out of the restaurant together, Liam stood waiting beside the car.
He opened the door respectfully for Evelyn, but Stella grinned mischievously at him. “Hey, Liam, tell your boss… I said… ‘Thank you for closing the restaurant again!'”
Evelyn froze.
“Wait… what?” She turned to him, eyes narrowing. “Liam, don’t tell me Axel did it again.”
“My goodness, sis, you seriously didn’t notice? No customers inside? Only us?”
Evelyn slightly shook her head. She makes a mental note that in the future, she will just invite her sister to her house instead of meeting outside.
Liam hesitated. “Ma’am, it was for your privacy—”
Evelyn sighed, shaking her head. “I told him not to waste money on that.”
Stella laughed and whispered, “Admit it. You must love him even more, don’t you?”
Evelyn gave her sister a pointed look but couldn’t hide her smile. “Go home, Stella.”
Stella hugged her once more before leaving, her voice trembling with emotion. “Thank you, Sis. For everything.”
As Evelyn watched her drive away, she smiled softly.
She experiences a blend of emotions when she meets her grandparents, feeling both sadness and happiness.
And seeing her sister’s joy once again fills her heart.
However, her joy didn’t last long, as soon as their car finally left the restaurant, she received a text from Oscar.
“Damn, Eve. You’re trending again! Check out this link…”